James M. Polyak
610-374-8377
BIO:
James M. Polyak is a Shareholder at Bingaman Hess. He joined the firm in 2026 and
heads the firm’s Criminal Defense Section. He is a 1989 graduate of Penn State
University and a 1992 graduate of Widener University School of Law. He began his
legal career as a Prosecuting Attorney in Berks County. He is admitted to practice
law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as United States District Courts in the
Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
For more than 30 years, Jim has had the privilege of defending thousands of clients
under investigation for or charged with local, state, and federal crimes. He has been
lead trial counsel in more than 100 jury trials, including death penalty cases. He has
never had a client sentenced to death. He has appeared frequently in United States
District Court in Reading, Allentown and Philadelphia, handling complex federal
criminal cases including mail fraud and tax fraud, where he has tried more criminal
jury trials there than any other lawyer in Berks County. He is the former Chairman
of the Berks County Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and has taught
criminal law at both the Reading Police Academy and Reading Area Community
College.
He is in the courtroom daily, representing clients accused of Homicide, Robbery,
Sexual Assault, Burglary, Drug Possession, Firearms offenses, Theft, Fraud, Assault,
and DUI.